


Dear Soldier

by HipsterIzzy



Series: Take Me To Church [2]
Category: Borderlands
Genre: Eventual Relationships, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Jack is a protective brother, M/M, Modern AU, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-15
Updated: 2016-11-18
Packaged: 2018-08-15 03:38:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8041063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HipsterIzzy/pseuds/HipsterIzzy
Summary: This is a prequel to everything else in the series, chronicling Timothy and Wilhelm's relationship leading up to the wedding that kicks off the rest of the au.





	1. The Program

**Author's Note:**

> I accidentally fell into this ship, but I'm not sorry because it's adorable. Also, might be slow to update.

“Hey, Jackie~?” Jack looked up from his paperwork to find his twin standing over his desk, a light blush creeping over his face. “Are…you still looking for candidates for your cybernetics program?”

“Why? You interested?” He set his pen down.

Tim chewed his lip, fidgeting under Jack’s gaze. “N-no, not me…but…I have this friend…and he’s already missing a couple'a limbs…I just thought, y'know, maybe he’d be a good test subject? And you could use the good pr that would come from it.”

Jack’s eyebrow quirked up.

“He’s the, uh, the soldier I’ve been…writing to…Remember? The one in the hospital? Combat wounded? You tagged along the one time you let me visi–”

“Oh, no, absolutely fucking not!” Jack remembered the soldier. Not his name, per se, but he remembered the way Tim blushed and giggled at the man’s flirtatious comments, the way Tim’s mouth had said, “Nice to meet you,” but his eyes were screaming, “Please fuck me!”

“But, Jack, he–”

“I said no, Timothy, now leave me to my work!”

The shyness quickly drained from Tim’s face, only to be replaced with a sullen anger. “Why do you have to be so overbearing? Obviously, nothing is going on between us. You refuse to let me go back to the hospital. Jeez, I’m surprised you even let me keep writing the man! I just thought, y'know, maybe I could help you do a little good with this project, so maybe the media wouldn’t immediately jump to the super soldier conclusion when you take it public.”

Jack eyed Tim with a quiet amusement. “And you thought attaching robot parts to a combat-wounded veteran would make them think it was a charitable project~?”

“Well, no, but…it would certainly help him.” Tim looked down to the floor, shrugging a little. “He says nobody really ever visits. He’s got no family, his friends are all still stuck overseas…The cybernetic limbs would still require a couple of months of physical therapy. So he’d be here, under your medical team’s watch. I could visit then, and you wouldn’t have to worry about me staying safe. It would give us time to get to know him. And when he’s healed, he won’t be stuck in a wheelchair the rest of his life. You’d be giving him his freedom.” He looked up at Jack again, giving him a hopeful smile. “Please, Jackie? He really is a sweetheart. I’m sure you’d like him if you got to know him.”

Jack sighed, closing his eyes and rubbing his temples. “You’ve really been thinking about this, huh? But what about this? What if he’s lying? What if he’s got a wife, and kids? What if, once he’s released from the med unit, he just tosses you aside? You’re my twin, for cryin’ out loud! He’s gotta know who you are, it’s not exactly a secret! What if he’s just using you?”

“I’m not asking you to take him on just so I can date him,” Tim said flatly. “I’m asking you to do it because he’s a good person, and I feel like maybe Life owes him one after fucking him over for so many years. We’ve talked about a lot of things, and this was all my idea anyways! Because maybe, just maybe, I’ve got it in my power to make sure that happens. If he falls in love with me, it’s just icing on the cake. If not, hey, I’ve still got a pretty good friend.”

Jack watched his twin for a moment, thinking everything over. It would look pretty good to the press. And Tim seemed to really care about the guy, even if they’d only met in person once. But the real selling point was the man’s military career. From what Jack understood, he wasn’t just some expendable foot soldier. He’d had a good, long run in…whatever branch of military had just dumped him in a hospital back on the home turf the second they couldn’t use him to obliterate the enemy. He’d be a great candidate. And, since the military would never take him back, maybe he’d be willing to work for Jack afterwards.

“Alright, fine, I’ll accept him. But I’ve got a couple of conditions: One, he works for me once he’s released. Two, there’s at least one nurse present when you visit. Three, this is kept as hush-hush as possible. I don’t want rumors flying around that I’m in league with the military. I’ve already got enough problems with ethics groups. I’ll figure out some cover story, have my people get in contact with his doctor, you just leave it to me.”

The sound his twin made made Jack’s hair stand on end. Before he could react, Timothy was around the desk and clinging tightly to Jack’s neck, pressing brotherly kisses of gratitude to the side of his head, no doubt messing up his hair.

“Jeez, alright, enough! I get it, I’m the greatest brother in the universe. Go on, get outta here, I got work to finish.”

Tim rolled his eyes as he pulled away. “Fine. I’ll let you get back to all those boring papers. But, does this me–”

“Abso-fucking-lutely not! I said keep it hush-hush. That means _I_ will be the only visitor Rambo is getting until he’s safely out of surgery and recuperating in my med ward.” As if Jack would let Tim spoil his fun.

“But what if he doesn’t survive the surgery? You said there was a small chance participants may not survive. Can’t I see him at least once before the surgery?”

The worry on Tim’s face was almost heartbreaking. Jack sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Alright. Okay, you can see him _once_ , on the day before the surgery. You can stay however long he wants you to, but there’s gonna be a nurse in the room _the entire time_ , and a security guy right outside the door. Take it or leave it.” With that, Jack turned his attention back to his papers, completely missing the wide grin spreading across his twin’s face.

“Thank you, Jackie~”


	2. The Proposition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack pays Wilhelm a visit, and a deal is made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, look, an update! I promise, the next chapter will have what you're really here for. I just...had to set it all up a little...

As Jack rounded the corner and strode up to the information desk, he expected the nurse to look up and greet him cheerily. However, when he leaned against the counter, she kept her nose in the paperback romance novel (he could tell it was a raunchy one because the beefcake on the cover had long, wavy, dark hair and no shirt). He cleared his throat, only to have her shush him without looking up.

“Excuse me, _young lady_ ,” he said, laying the charm on as thick as possible, “I’m looking for a patient. I was hoping you could point me in the right direction?”

“Visiting hours are over. Come back tomorrow.” Her voice was gruff, deeper than his own. She must be a smoker.

Jack grit his teeth and flexed his fingers, trying to remain calm. “Look, sweetheart, it’s _very important_ that I see this patient right now. It’s a time-sensitive issue.” He forced his most charming smile as she looked up at him over the top of her tortoise shell reading glasses.

“Then you should’ve come during visiting hours. Get lost before I call security.” With that, she turned back to her book, leaving Jack to seethe with anger.

He slammed his palms down on the counter, causing the woman behind it to flinch. “Do you know who I am?” he growled out. “I’m—“

“You’re an idiot who’s got a date with the sidewalk. Security!”

Jack held his hands up, palms facing the nurse in a show of defeat. “Alright, alright, I’m going! Look, I’m leaving!” As he backed away, she waved the guard off and returned to her book. Jack continued pretending to leave until he was out of their sights. He then decided to search out the ex-soldier’s room on his own. It wasn’t hard, though. The first door he peeked into was the correct one. Seeing that the large man was awake, he didn’t bother trying to sneak in.

“Hey there, Sarge! Got a minute to chat?”

The other man looked up from the papers in his hand, squinting at Jack in the low light. “You must be Jackie~”

“I’m _Jack_ ,” he replied, reaching for the chart at the end of the bed. He scanned it quickly, only searching for the soldier’s name, then hung it back on the pegs. “You’ve only met me and Tim once, Wilhelm. How’d you know the difference?”

“Tim has freckles and a nice ass. You, on the other hand, are a jackass.” Wilhelm grinned at him, folding the papers and setting them on the bedside table.

Jack gave him a sour look. “Listen, I didn’t actually come here to make small talk or get insulted. I’ve got a proposition for you.” He grinned at the man in the bed, sure of himself now that the vet was giving him his full attention. “See, I’m working on this groundbreaking program. It’ll really rock the medical world, if it works out right. Only thing is, I need test subjects. That’s where you come in to play~”

Wilhelm raised a thick brow, but stayed silent.

“Dear little Timmy came bounding into my office this afternoon babbling about what a great guy you are and how you deserve to walk again. My program can make that happen. We’re gonna give you brand-new legs! Legs that you can actually walk on. And it’ll be free of charge~”

Wilhelm scowled, and Jack involuntarily took a step back. “You don’t get nothin’ free in this world…You might not charge me money, but you want somethin’ out of it. Lemme guess: Leave your brother alone? Don’t talk to him? Forget about him?” He leaned forward in the bed, frown deepening. “Ain’t gonna happen.”

Jack chuckled nervously, raising his palms in a gesture of peace. “No no no, don’t worry, big guy, I couldn’t hurt Timothy like that. I, uh…guess you two got pretty close writing those letters, huh? Anyways, yeah, you’re right, there’s a catch: You work for me when you’re released. I don’t expect you to have any expertise in computer sciences, but I’m sure we could put all that combat training to use. Keep you out of civilian life. Sounds good?” He gave the larger man a hopeful smile.

As he thought it over, Wilhelm settled back against his pillows. His features softened slightly for a moment, then hardened once again. “Still sounds too good to be true. You give me robot legs for free, then you pay me to, what, be a body guard? Some kind of security detail? What do you get out of it?”

Jack shrugged. “I get a test subject for the cybernetic legs and a guard I can potentially trust in my home.”

“…Can I see Tim? Alone?”

Jack shook his head. “Can’t allow that. But he’ll come visit the day before your surgery, and then as much as you want after. If you agree.”

Wilhelm’s face softened again as he looked down at his lap, then looked back up at Jack. “…if I don’t agree?”

Jack shrugged again. “Then your doctor will fit you with the regular prosthetics and a wheelchair. You’ll have to find work in the civilian world. You’ll probably be at the mercy of the VA for the rest of your life.”

Wilhelm glanced over to the folded papers for a moment, then back to Jack. “Y'know, Tim wants to write a children’s book about a superhero that’s part robot. He wants to help kids learn that disabilities don’t mean they can’t still be awesome.”

“…So you’re ‘Bill’, huh~?”

Wilhelm was silent for a long moment. And then, “I want Tim there when I wake up after the surgery. And I wanna talk to him before, too. Alone.” Wilhelm nodded once resolutely.

It was Jack’s turn to scowl. “There’s gonna be a nurse present at all times, and a body guard just outside the door. Take it or leave it.”

The larger man stared back at Jack for a moment, then looked back to the papers on his side table, staying silent the whole time. Jack was just about to turn and leave when Wilhelm sighed softly and looked back up at him. “What’s the pay like?”

“A hell of a lot better than the military ever promised~” Jack gave him the biggest, cheesiest grin he could muster.

Wilhelm looked back to the folded papers once more, his shoulders slumping as he sighed softly. He then looked down at the blanket covering what was left of his legs. Jack hadn’t expected the man to take so long to make the decision. Maybe he had some moral dilemma or something? A promise he’d made to some long-deceased family member to never give in to greed? To Jack, the right choice was obvious: Agree to the sweet robot legs and get an awesome job af–

“…I’ll do it.”

Jack had been so lost in his own thoughts that the gruff answer startled him. “Wh-huh? What?”

“I said I’ll do it. Gimme robot legs and put me to work.” The larger man crossed his arms over his chest and sneered at Jack, and for the first time, Jack noticed the bandage covering his right eye.

“Did, uh…Did you lose an eye, too?” he asked, raising an eyebrow as he leaned in for a better look. “We could fix that, too…

"Yeah, whatever, consider me your guinea pig. As long as it means I can date your brother~” Wilhelm grinned, watching Jack’s expression turn sour again.

“…You hurt him, and there’ll be a new grave of the Unknown Soldier.”

“Nothing but the purest intentions for him, I swear.” Wilhelm raised both hands in a gesture of peace.

Jack eyed the larger man, looking for telltale signs of a lie. Finding none, he shrugged. “I’ll have a couple of orderlies from my medical team pick you up tomorrow morning. Your doctor can just fax the files over. You’ll get a private room, of course, but you won’t be able to receive mail. I’ll let you send some out to your buddies, but just like when you were active duty, someone will check over anything you write and censor any information I don’t want leaked. This whole affair has to be kept a secret. I’ve got enough ethics groups on my case without any super soldier rumors flying around.”

Wilhelm simply nodded, and Jack assumed he hadn’t forgotten how important secrecy was. With a wave, he slipped out of the room and headed home, practicing the speech he’d give Timothy over breakfast the next morning.

**Author's Note:**

> If you made it this far, thank you so much!!


End file.
